“Pensare” in Italian
The verb pensare means “to think”, but its translation might slightly change depending on what you want to say, like in the examples below:
Sto pensando di iscrivermi all’università.
I’m thinking of enrolling in university.
Abbiamo pensato a un bel regalo per Giovanni.
We thought about a nice present for Giovanni.
As you can see, in the first case it takes on the meaning of considering something, while in the second it is merely the expression of a thought.
Another detail I hope you noticed is the preposition that follows the verb “pensare”. On the one hand, we have the preposition “a”, on the other hand, we have the preposition “di”.
Let me explain to you the main differences between these two.
“Pensare a” vs “Pensare di”
“Pensare a” in Italian
In Italian, we use the construction pensare + a to express that we are thinking of (or about) something or someone. This is the easiest use and translation of the verb “pensare”, but what is relevant, is the fact that the preposition can be followed by different grammatical items.
- Pensare a + proper noun/pronoun
When we refer to someone, we might use their name, but we might also just use a followed by a stressed object pronoun.
| a | me |
| a | te |
| a | lui/lei |
| a | noi |
| a | voi |
| a | loro |
Penso sempre a Maria.
I always think of Maria.
Penso sempre a te.
I always think of you.
If you want to ask what or who someone is thinking about, you have to place the a at the beginning of the question, as in the examples below:
A cosa pensate?
What are you thinking about?
A chi pensi?
Who are you thinking about?
- Pensare a + article
Of course, when we use a common noun, we might need an article before it. In this case, we must combine the preposition a with an article, depending on the gender and number of what we’re referring to:
| il + a | al |
| lo + a | allo |
| la + a | all’ / alla |
| i + a | ai |
| gli + a | agli |
| le + a | alle |
Have a look at the examples below:
Stai pensando alle tue bambine?
Are you thinking about your girls?
- Pensare a + infinitive
In Italian, the phrase “pensare a” followed by an infinitive verb generally means “to think about” or “to consider” doing something. This is very commonly interchangeable with “pensare di” which I will explain below.
Pensi sempre a fumare! Non è salutare!
You are always thinking about smoking! It is not healthy!
“Pensare di” in Italian
In Italian, the construction “pensare di” is followed by an infinitive verb and is used to express an opinion or intention, or to indicate the act of considering doing something.
It is equivalent to the English “to think of” or “to plan on”, but it often leans more towards expressing a thought process or decision about an action.
Penso di partire domani.
I plan to leave tomorrow.
Penso di accettare l’offerta di lavoro.
I am thinking of accepting the job offer.
While “pensare a” focuses more on the contemplation or consideration of an action (similar to pondering), “pensare di” is typically more decisive or opinion-based.
E Penso a Te
Now that you have understood the different uses of pensare in Italian, try listening to the song below by Lucio Battisti. Its title is E penso a te, so it is perfect to practice this new topic.
Io lavoro e penso a te.
Torno a casa e penso a te.
Le telefono e intanto penso a te.
Come stai? E penso a te.
Dove andiamo? E penso a te.
